Marine Headquarters, Marineford
In the Fleet Admiral's office, the Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk was vibrating furiously.
"Kizaru, what did you do?!" Sengoku slammed his hand down on the desk, his voice echoing through the office. "Three Celestial Dragons were taken away right under your nose. Do you have any idea how much this will affect the prestige of the Marines and the World Government?"
Sengoku despised the Celestial Dragons, but their orders were absolute. An Admiral had failed to protect them, which was a significant blow to the Marines' authority, especially with the Summit War looming.
"Mr. Sengoku, it seems there are too many pirates on Sabaody," Kizaru's voice came from the phone snail, sounding innocent. "Even a character like Silvers Rayleigh's appeared. I couldn't handle it all on my own... Besides, Bartholomew Kuma suddenly turned against the us to help Straw Hat crew. If Adrian, the corpse collector, hadn't shown up and subdued him, the situation would have spiraled out of control."
"Adrian was there?" Kuma's betrayal wasn't a complete surprise; Shichibukai were known for their unpredictability. But Adrian's involvement raised Sengoku's suspicions. He knew Adrian wouldn't help the Marines for no reason. Kizaru's next words confirmed his fears.
"But in the end, Bartholomew Kuma died at Adrian's hands. It took a great deal of effort to snatch his body back... And Mr. Sengoku, the Oto and Kogarashi are in that kid's hands. It seems he was the one who killed the Golden Lion." Kizaru skillfully diverted Sengoku's anger onto Adrian, who had been so annoying.
Sengoku was shocked. The Golden Lion was dead, and Adrian was the killer? If Crocodile's death earlier was a fluke, this proved Adrian was a threat. His growth rate was alarmingly high. "Damn it! To lose a Shichibukai at a time like this..." Sengoku's fist slammed the table.
"Um... Mr. Sengoku, please calm down. I think Dr. Vegapunk can handle Bartholomew Kuma's problem. He had already undergone extensive body modification, so whether he lives or dies shouldn't make impact!" Kizaru, as the interim commander of the Marine Science Division, had full faith in Vegapunk's abilities. "And Adrian's ultimate goal is likely to be a Shichibukai position. He's already taken Luffy to Mariejois to meet the Five Elders!"
"What did you say?!" Sengoku exclaimed, his mind racing. "First Fire Fist Ace, and now even Straw Hat Luffy is captured..."
"Sengoku, you may need to take precautions regarding Garp," Tsuru, the Chief-of-Staff, who was sitting on the sofa, said with a solemn expression. She knew Garp well. Ace's impending execution had already left him distraught; adding his own grandson to the mix meant no one could predict what the usually carefree Garp would do during the Summit War.
"Adrian, that bastard, has created such a huge hidden danger for me at a time like this. Does he want to start an all-out war?" Sengoku felt a cold sweat on his forehead. With only a week left until Ace's public execution, the pressure on the Marines was immense. If the Revolutionary Army got involved, even with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, Sengoku wasn't sure of the outcome. Adrian's actions had pushed the situation beyond his control. Even as the "Strategist" of the Marines, he felt helpless.
"Tsuru, before the execution day comes, please keep an eye on that old fellow Garp. If he behaves abnormally, I may have no choice but to..." Sengoku didn't finish his sentence, but a look of pain flashed in his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to betray Garp, his friend and a Marine hero, but he also couldn't risk a potential betrayal.
What Sengoku didn't know was that this very dilemma was part of Adrian's plan. When Adrian chose his targets, he deliberately chose Luffy over Ace. His aim wasn't just to lure the Revolutionary Army out of the shadows, but to use Luffy to create variables within the Marines, specifically with Garp. Adrian had a deep disdain for Garp, whose self-serving actions—like shielding Ace's mother and son, which indirectly led to the deaths of hundreds of innocent babies and pregnant women—were far worse than a pirate's. Garp was lauded as a hero, while others like Blackbeard, who were also selfish, were condemned.
Adrian believed that both Luffy and Ace's paths were tied to Garp's poor parenting. Just like an unruly child who won't listen to his parents, learns the lesson when society eventually teaches them the hard-way, a lesson that Ace was about to learn. So, Adrian wanted to see what choice Garp would make on the day of his grandsons' executions: to uphold the honor of the Marines or to surrender to family love.
"No, I have to go to Mariejois myself!" Sengoku suddenly stood up, his face filled with unease. "I want to see with my own eyes what kind of man this kid Adrian is."